Why it works: Butter and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,127 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Brandy Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Beat the butter until creamy.
Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until light and white.
Add the egg white and beat until stiff peaks form.
Stir in the brandy and boiling water.
Place the bowl in a basin of boiling water and stir until the sauce is light and foamy.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,127 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Brandy + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,340 recipes
Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
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Brandy + sugartop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Brandy and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Creamed with the sugar, it gives the sauce richness and a smooth body.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the sauce and dissolves easily, helping it beat light and white.
- Egg white
- Beaten to stiff peaks, it traps air and gives the sauce its light, foamy texture.
- Brandy
- Adds the characteristic aroma and flavour of the sauce.
The step that matters
Adding the egg white and beating to stiff peaks. Egg white only holds air well when it is beaten to stiff peaks and kept free of fat. Any trace of butter or yolk can stop it from whipping, so the sauce will not become light and foamy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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